Never Forgive, Never Forget
by KingodtheNight
Summary: Castiel returns from Purgatory and meets with Azariah who cannot forget his actions when he chose to be "the new God." The two reveal their history together.


Never Forgive, Never Forget

EXT. RUFUS'S CABIN-NIGHT

Castiel and Azariah stand facing each other next to the burning remains of the cabin. Azariah holds an angel killing blade in his hands.

CASTIEL Where are the Winchesters?

AZARIAH Somewhere safe.

Castiel steps closer to Azariah.

CASTIEL Brother, please, let me protect them, the Winchesters don't have to be a part of this anymore.

AZARIAH They already are, Castiel! Whether they like it or not.

Azariah's eyes move, he's noticed something.

AZARIAH No Temoriel!

Castiel turns around, Temoriel stands behind him, ready to sink his knife into his back.

AZARIAH I'll handle this. Go back, protect the humans.

Temoriel nods.

TEMORIEL As you wish.

A gust of wind blows and Temoriel is gone. Castiel turns back around to look at Azariah.

CASTIEL Since when does he take orders from you?

AZARIAH There's been a change in senior management.

CASTIEL So our brothers listen to you now.

AZARIAH Only until our father comes back.

CASTIEL That may never be.

AZARIAH I have more faith than you. Now, you have something I need.

Castiel slowly puts his arm into his trench coat, he pulls the tablet out.

CASTIEL Is this what you want?

AZARIAH I need to know how to fight this war.

CASTIEL If you want the tablet than let me come with you, I can...

AZARIAH Do you really think I'd let you come back, after what you did?!

EXT. HEAVEN-DAY

It's Castiel's favorite part of a Heaven. A small town park with lot's of space to run around and a beautiful fountain.

Castiel stands in front of a massive crowd of angels.

CASTIEL My brothers, my sisters. You are that no more. Raphael is dead, Gabriel is dead, Michael and Lucifer are trapped in the deepest pit of Hell, but I...

He raises his hands, making himself seem greater.

CASTIEL (CONT'D)  
...am alive, and greater than ever. Now, I control both the power of Heaven and Purgatory, I am the new God. You are now my children and I am your Father.

Azariah stands in the back of the crowd. His face is full of anger, his muscles are tense, he's using every ounce of willpower not to grab a knife and attack Castiel.

CASTIEL I am a better Father than the one who has abandoned you. I will punish those who deserve it and redeem those who are devout.

His face becomes far more sinister.

CASTIEL But those of you who rebel against me, shall pay.

Castiel waves his hand through the air.

A blinding light emerges from around him. Angels SCREAM and fall back as the light engulfs their bodies.

Azariah and the angels around him turn to run, the light reaches them.

Azariah dives into the tree surrounding the park. He falls into a ditch as the light expands beyond him. The other angels let out BLOOD CURDLING SCREAMS.

EXT. HEAVEN-LATER

Azariah climbs out of the ditch, he's filthy and his clothes are shredded into strips of cloth barely attached to his body.

He pulls himself to his feet and steps back out of the tree line. He stops cold in his tracks, his face fills with shock and awe.

Ahead of him lay all the other angels, all on the ground dead, wings are burned into the ground around them.

Tears fall down Azariah's cheeks.

AZARIAH No. He couldn't have.

CASTIEL (O.S.)  
It's a pity.

Azariah turns around, Castiel stands behind him.

CASTIEL (CONT'D)  
Many of them were good angels, but unfortunately for them...

(pause)  
They sided with Raphael.

AZARIAH You traitor.

Azariah pulls an angel killing knife from what's left of his clothes. He charges Castiel and plunges the knife into his heart.

The blade shatters into a million pieces, Azariah falls onto his back.

CASTIEL Do not make me question your loyalty, Azariah.

Azariah climbs back to his feet.

AZARIAH I have no loyalty to you.

CASTIEL Then you will have to gain some. I left you alive for a reason, even if you did fight against me.

AZARIAH What happened to you?

CASTIEL I opened my eyes. First I chose to make my own destiny, then I chose to fight for our right to do so, then I chose a new destiny for myself.

AZARIAH Yet you've robbed us all of that right.

CASTIEL So foolish.

He steps closer to Azariah, becoming more personal.

CASTIEL (CONT'D)  
You and I were friends for so long, then we were enemies, now...we are father and son.

AZARIAH You'll never be my Father, you'll never be God.

CASTIEL Don't try to disobey Azariah, Lucifer tried that.

AZARIAH So did you, if I have to be the third, I will. But I'll be the first to do it in the name of our true father.

Castiel waves his hand, Azariah floats into the air and cringes in pain, he levitates closer to Castiel.

CASTIEL You've always been loyal to God, now be loyal to the new God. It may take time, but you will obey me.

Castiel relaxes his hands, Azariah drops to the ground.

CASTIEL I'll always need soldiers, that's why I need you.

Castiel turns his back away from Azariah and walks into the woods.

EXT. RUFUS'S CABIN-NIGHT

Azariah and Castiel circle each other, Azariah gripping his knife, Castiel gripping the tablet.

CASTIEL I never meant for any of that to happen, I only wanted...

AZARIAH Spare me! You always wanted power! You the were first to request that you replace Anna, you chose to lead the angels after you stopped the Apocalypse.

CASTIEL I tried to tell my followers that god wanted them to have freedom.

AZARIAH Our brothers weren't meant to be free Castiel, we've spent our entire existence obeying.

Castiel takes several steps closer to Azariah.

CASTIEL And now you try and fill the void our Father left.

AZARIAH I didn't choose it! It was forced on me.

INT. HEAVEN-DAY

Azariah stands at the summit of a mountain taller than the clouds, he stares down. The slopes are littered with the bodies of dead angels, all with their wings burned into the ground around them.

Tears stream down Azariah's face.

A gust of the wind blows, Temoriel appears.

TEMORIEL Horrifying, is it not?

AZARIAH We should have been able to save them, all of them.

TEMORIEL It may be time to let go of the past, Castiel is dead.

AZARIAH That doesn't even end this, so many of our brothers are gone.

TEMORIEL We'll need a new leader, Azariah.

AZARIAH I don't think any can replace our Father.

A gust of the wind blows. SARAH, a female angel with a sinister, though respectful face, shorter than the others but just as strong, appears.

SARAH None can, but there is one who can lead us for now.

Azariah stares at her, he knows what they mean.

AZARIAH I, I am only a soldier. I have no knowledge of how...

TEMORIEL It does not matter Azariah, most of our superiors were killed by Castiel, his followers are too ashamed to rise. I would lead us all to fall...

SARAH And I am far to unwilling to accept this new world the humans have built. You are the only one who can lead us now.

Azariah looks between the two angels, trying to find a way out of this.

TEMORIEL Accept it, you're the only our brothers will follow, the only one.

EXT. RUFUS'S CABIN-NIGHT

AZARIAH I never chose this, you claimed it as your own.

CASTIEL I was forced to claim it as well, Raphael was going too...

AZARIAH And you made a deal with the King of Hell to stop it. Look what that's lead to, the desolation of Heaven, the freedom of the Leviathans, and now The First is free too.

CASTIEL (scornfully)  
You would have let Raphael break, Michael and Lucifer out of the cage just so that it could end the way it was foretold.

AZARIAH We always thought that was the way it was supposed to end, but I've accepted that it's going to be very different now!

CASTIEL You and I were friends once, remember that.

INT. HEAVEN-DAY

It's an endless woods filled with angels, they walk carrying their weapons. They are prepared for battle. Castiel and Azariah walk among the crowd.

Castiel is visibly upset.

AZARIAH Are you afraid Castiel? I never thought I'd see that from you.

CASTIEL Just confused, I never thought Lucifer would, disobey.

AZARIAH None of us did, but that doesn't change anything.

The two walk farther into the trees.

AZARIAH You lied.

CASTIEL What?

AZARIAH You lied to me, you're afraid to face Lucifer.

CASTIEL Yes I am, he was once our Father's favorite, how do we stand a chance against him?

AZARIAH Michael is leading us, we have a larger force and we have our comradery.

Castiel looks over his shoulder and into Azariah's eyes.

AZARIAH If you look out for me, I'll look out for you.

Castiel smiles.

CASTIEL Of course brother.

INT. HEAVEN-LATER

The woods have erupted into a massive battle, angels fight angels with knives in hand. One stabs another, light bursts from the dead angel's eyes as it slides down a tree to it's resting place.

Castiel pulls his knife from the torso of a dead angel, the dead angel falls to the ground. Another angel grabs Castiel from behind, it flips onto the ground, then pounces on him.

The angel holds it's knife over Castiel, ready to stab.

ANGEL Do you really want to spend the rest of your life this way, a slave to those hairless apes.

The angel raises his knife slightly higher,and drives it down. Castiel's eyes fill with fear.

Azariah grabs the attacking angel by it's wrist and back, he pulls him off Castiel and slams him into a tree. Azariah holds the tip of his knife to the helpless angel's torso.

ANGEL No, please no!

Azariah stabs the angel in the stomach, light erupts from it's eyes as it falls to ground dead.

Azariah turns around to see his friend still lying on the ground, he extends a hand. Castiel takes it, Azariah pulls him to his feet.

CASTIEL Thank you, brother.

AZARIAH I'd expect you to do the same for me.

EXT. RUFUS'S CABIN-NIGHT

CASTIEL And I did the same for you a thousand times over.

AZARIAH That doesn't matter anymore, Castiel. All what matters, is what's happening now.

CASTIEL Just because I was in Purgatory doesn't mean I don't know what's going on.

Castiel slides the tablet back into his coat, and steps into Azariah's personal space.

CASTIEL (CONT'D)  
You've made the same mistakes as Michael, you're letting destiny write the future, you're going to use an unborn child as a weapon.

AZARIAH I've learned what Michael never did. I know destiny doesn't write the future.

CASTIEL Then why'd you bring Jo Harvelle back?

Azariah pushes Castiel away from him.

AZARIAH She's needed to stop this.

CASTIEL You needed her to create a weapon.

AZARIAH (offened)  
Enough!

He holds his empty hand out.

AZARIAH (CONT'D)  
You want to make up for what you did? Give me the tablet.

CASTIEL No. If you want to learn to protect the child, you need me.

AZARIAH This is your fault to begin with, you could have let Dean Winchester live the new life he had, but your actions pulled him back, your actions let Crowley release the first.

CASTIEL Was I supposed to leave Sam Winchester in there with Michael and Lucifer?!

AZARIAH It was his choice!

(pause)  
Now, let me end this, give me the tablet.

Castiel leans back into Azariah's personal space.

CASTIEL Take it from me.

Azariah leans back into Castiel's space.

AZARIAH Fine.

Azariah slams his free hand into Castiel's stomach, launching Castiel through the air.

Cas lands on his back, the tablet falls out of his coat. Azariah stands over him, he reaches for the tablet. Castiel slams one hand onto it and disappears.

Azariah turns around, Castiel lunges at him with a knife. Azariah ducks and slams his free back into Castiel's gut. Castiel falls over in pain.

Azariah pulls himself up and slams his elbow into the back of Castiel's neck. Castiel falls onto the ground. Azariah kneels down and reaches into Castiel's coat. Castiel grabs him by the wrist and flips him onto his back.

Castiel gets to his feet and kicks Azariah in the gut over and over again. Azariah disapears into thin air.

Castiel turn around and walks right into Azariah's fist. The punch knocks him back a few steps. He throws his leg into the air and kick Azariah in the leg. Azariah loses his balance. Castiel grabs him by the collar of his neck, punching him in the face several times.

Azariah grabs a hold of Castiel's shoulder, he tosses him to the ground.

Castiel leaps back to his feet. The two lock hands, Castiel pushes Azariah back toward the wreck of the cabin. They reach the side. Castiel let's go of Azariah's hands, he clutches onto his throat, pushing his face into the flames.

Azariah SCREAMS in pain. Castiel let's go and steps back. He stares down at the wounded Azariah.

Azariah leaps out of the fire and pounces on Castiel. Castiel grips Azariah's jacket and spins him around.

Azariah slips across the ground, dropping to his knees. Castiel let's go, raises his hands, leans down to attack. Azariah lifts his knife, Castiel leans right into.

Castiel GASPS. His balance fails him, he steps back. He remains there for a moment, then topples over.

Azariah stands up completely straight. He looks down at Castiel, the tablet lays on the ground next to him.

Azariah leans over and picks the tablet up. He can't take his eyes off Castiel. He reaches for the knife. Castiel covers the hilt with his hands.

AZARIAH (calmly)  
Move your hands.

Azariah pushes Castiel's hands away, he grasps the hilt and pulls the weapon out of Castiel.

Azariah stands back up, he tosses the blade onto the ground, turns his back and walks away.

Castiel covers his wound with one hand, flips himself over and crawls after Azariah.

CASTIEL (exhausted)  
Why'd...you...not kill me?

Azariah stops dead in his tracks. He turns his head over his shoulder.

AZARIAH The last time I killed an angel, I killed him to protect a friend.

Azariah turns his head back to look in front of him.

AZARIAH (CONT'D)  
Never again.

A gust of the wind blows and Azariah is gone.

Castiel lays on the ground clutching his wound.


End file.
